Paul Heran
COMS 142
Essay Assignment
A Product of His Environment
Any film that uses The Flaming Lips, Arcade Fire, and yes, Brittany Spears in its soundtrack automatically has my
attention. Sharing great music, however, is not the intended message of this film. Boyhood takes a stab at the familiar comingof-age story, but digs deeper into the influences surrounding a child in his most moldable years. The story follows the mental
and physical growth of a boy Mason, whose character was played by a single actor and filmed over the course of 12 years.
Unlike other films, Boyhood doesn’t take a side or tell you what to think. It simply delivers a story, and allows the audience to
arrive at its own conclusions. The reaction to the events in Mason’s life can be very different based on the experiences of the
viewer. There could be many interpretations and take-aways but the universal message of the film is that people are a product
of their environment. The interactions and influences of friends and family are what make people who they are. Boyhood
places the viewer in the passenger seat of Mason’s journey from boyhood to manhood and over 12 years his character is
shaped before our very eyes.
The film ignores established patterns of typical movie plots. Instead of a continual build up to an anticipated climax, the
film presents Mason’s life in a more steady and realistic manner. Change is the only constant in his journey through boyhood,
and it is those changes that drive the film. Each phase of his life turns a new chapter in the film and the small peaks and valleys
of these chapters are presented, but they never lead to any overarching climax. Each chapter could almost be a stand-alone
piece and one never really builds on the previous. The film simply shows a series of events and leaves it to the viewer to
interpret them as they wish. I found myself wondering if a major plot twist was going jolt the movie to life, but that twist never
came. Such is the story of many people’s lives. They are waiting for someone or something to come along and change their life,
but that person or thing may never come. Every experience, no matter how big or small somehow played a role in shaping
Mason into the young man at the close of the film.
So much time has to be cut from the film in order to pack more than a decade of life into a three-hour feature. Some of
the most significant events in the movie were completely skipped over without much explanation. When Mason’s mother
marries her second husband, the film jumps from one of their first interactions to the their honeymoon in the next scene.
Similarly, when mason breaks up with his most prominent girlfriend in the film, it skips the actual breakup and focuses on the
reaction after the fact. At first it felt like this was a mistake. I wanted to see deeper into these gaps in time, but it occurred to
me that these moments were left out for a reason. The editing emphasizes the main message of the film. Mason is a product of
his environment, not the things he can’t control. Mason’s reactions to these moments are what matter more than the events
themselves. Another editing choice that enhances the communication of the film’s message is the extended shots that leave the
actors on screen for sometimes uncomfortable lengths, but allow for an uninterrupted observation of the emotion they are
feeling. Though they may only be a few seconds here and there, these extended shots make a world of difference in
communicating an emotion. I could feel the awkwardness that Mason was experiencing through the TV when an edit would
run long or leave gaps of silence in his conversations.
Throughout the film, every person in Mason’s life had an impact on his development. The cinematography allowed me
not only to see, but also to feel these emotions as if I were a bystander right there in the room with Mason as he encountered
various situations. Contrary to many blockbuster films where cinematography has ulterior motives such as pacing or
impressing the audience, the cinematography in Boyhood was objective and impartial. The camera movements and shot
choices were very simple and not distracting. This was an effective technique that ultimately gave me a much better
understanding of the characters. Cinematography can often be obtrusive and disrupting which can lead to disengagement from
the film. The simple framing, and minute camera movements did exactly what they were meant to do, and nothing more. They
provided the medium for presenting the story in a straightforward and real way.
The significance of a film is often pushed on a viewer with an obvious plotline, fast paced editing, and flashy
camerawork, but Boyhood chose to disregard these contemporary standards. This film may not have all the typical
components of today’s blockbuster films, but it doesn’t need them to communicate its meaning. The unbiased message of
Boyhood was ultimately communicated effectively because of its unique plot, careful editing, and objective cinematography.
Capstone 10
Milestones
1-1.5
Demonstrates a thorough understanding of context,
audience, and purpose that is responsive to the
assigned task(s) and focuses all elements of the work.
2
Benchmark
.5
Demonstrates awareness of context, audience, purpose, Demonstrates minimal attention to context, audience,
and to the assigned tasks(s) (e.g., begins to show
purpose, and to the assigned tasks(s) (e.g., expectation
awareness of audience's perceptions and assumptions). of instructor or self as audience).
Uses appropriate, relevant, and compelling content to Uses appropriate and relevant content to develop and
illustrate mastery of the subject, conveying the writer's explore ideas through most of the work.
understanding, and shaping the whole work. 2
Uses appropriate and relevant content to develop
simple ideas in some parts of the work.
Demonstrates detailed attention to and successful
execution of a wide range of conventions particular to
a specific discipline and/or writing task (s)
including organization, content, presentation,
formatting, and stylistic choices 2
Follows expectations appropriate to a specific
Attempts to use a consistent system for basic
discipline and/or writing task(s) for basic organization, organization and presentation.
content, and presentation
Demonstrates skillful use of high-quality, credible,
relevant sources to develop ideas that are appropriate
for the discipline and genre of the writing 2
Demonstrates an attempt to use credible and/or
relevant sources to support ideas that are appropriate
for the discipline and genre of the writing.
Demonstrates an attempt to use sources to support
ideas in the writing.
Uses graceful language that skillfully communicates
meaning to readers with clarity and fluency, and is
virtually error-free. 2
Uses language that generally conveys meaning to
readers with clarity, although writing may include
some errors.
Uses language that sometimes impedes meaning
because of errors in usage.